High-loft, nonwoven paneling material and covering

ABSTRACT

A paneling material comprising a laminated construction having a layer of adhesive and a multiplicity of elements looped outwardly from the layer and a layer of nonflexible material, such as plywood, plastic or the like, laminated to the adhesive layer; and a method of making the paneling material by first embedding a web of elements in an open pattern of adhesive, bonding the elements in the adhesive, consolidating the adhesive into a continuous backing layer while looping the elements outwardly from the adhesive backing, and laminating the nonflexible material to the adhesive backing. In certain instances, a second pattern of adhesive may be applied to the first pattern of adhesive in general registry therewith prior to the consolidation step. Also a barrier layer may be interposed between the nonflexible material and the adhesive backing. Also, the invention includes a new use for a high-loft nonwoven material, namely: as a wall covering material.

United States Patent [191 Appl. No.: 261,695

Related US. Application Data Stumpi Aug. 28, 1973 HIGH-LOFT, NONWOVENPANELING Primary Examiner-Wi1liam J. Van Balen MATERIAL AND COVERINGAttorney-C. Frederick Leydig,.l0hn P. Bundock.Jr. [75] inventor: RobertJ. Stumpf, Appleton, Wis. et [73] Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Corporation,[57 ABSTRACT Neenah, Wis. A paneling material comprising a laminatedconstruc- 1 Filedi J 1972 tion having a layer of adhesive and amultiplicity of elements looped outwardly from the layer and a layer ofnonflexible material, such as plywood, plastic or the like, laminated tothe adhesive layer; and a method of making the paneling material byfirst embedding a web of elements in an open pattern of adhesive,bonding the elements in the adhesive, consolidating the adhesive into acontinuous backing layer while looping the elements outwardly from theadhesive backing, and laminating the nonflexible material to theadhesive backing. In certain instances, a second pattern of adhesive maybe applied to the first pattern of adhesive in general registrytherewith prior to the consolidation step. Also a barrier layer may beinterposed between the nonflexible material and the adhesive backing.Also, the invention includes a new use for a high-loft nonwovenmaterial, namely: as a wall covering material.

20 Claims, 20 Drawing Figures Patented Aug. 28, 1973 3,755,051

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 l i a Patented Aug. 28,1973 I 3,755,051

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 28, 1973 5 Sheets-Sheet. 5

Patented Aug. 28,1973

5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Aug. 28, 1973 3,755,051

5 Sheets-Sheet 5 HIGH-LOFT, NONWOVEN PANELING MATERIAL AND COVERINGRELATED APPLICATIONS George H. Saunders, Robert C. Sokolowski and RobertJ. Stumpf, U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 498,929, filed Oct. 20,

1965 now abandoned.

'Ronald H. Wideman, U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 551,605,

filed May 20, 1966, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,553,064.

Robert J. Stumpf and William L. Mowers, U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 553,483,filed May 27, 1966, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,553,065.

Robert J. Stumpf, U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 769,959, filed Oct. 23, 1968 nowabandoned, and replaced by Robert J. Stumpf, U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 31,225,filed Apr. 23, 1970 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,709,768.

Robert J. Stumpf,U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 820,224, filed Apr. 29, 1969 nowU.S. Pat. No. 3,687,754.

Robert J. Stumpf, U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 856,793, filed Sept. 10, 1969.

Herman G. Minshell, Robert J. Stumpf and William J. Mattes, U.S. Pat.Ser. No. 77,840, filed Oct. 5, 1970.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This is a continuation-in-part of my priorfiled copending U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 78,004, filed tionalwoven fabrics and, also, to create new markets in which woven fabricshave not yet, become established. This is particularly true in the caseof materials for single-use and disposable products, such as: sanitarysupplies, hospital garments, disposable sheets, and the like. For theseapplications the nonwoven fabric is generally made in continuous sheetform with one or more layers of staple length fibers and/or areinforcing scrim structure adhesively bonded together or laminatedbetween plies of other material such as cellulosic wadding and plasticsheeting. The fibers may be natural, synthetic or various blends and, ofcourse, the particular composition of the nonwoven fabric is greatlyinfluenced by its intended use.

Exemplary of such nonwoven fabrics are those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.2,902,395, 3,047,444, 3,072,511, 3,327,708 and 3,484,330, and theaforesaid copending U.S. Pat. applications, Ser. Nos; 498,929, 551,605now U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,553,064 and 553,483 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,553,065,all of which are assigned to the same assignee as the presentapplication. While the products disclosed in the foregoing issuedpatents and copending applications have many different attributes andcharacteristics, they all have one thing in commonviz., the principalfibers are nearly all disposed substantially parallel to the surfaces ofthe nonwoven material. As a result, the material is either relativelythin and flat or, such substantial thickness and surface texture as areimparted to the fabric are provided by creping or embossing variouslayers of the material or, in some instances, the final nonwoven fabric.

It is also well-known that natural fibers, particularly cotton and wool,have an inherent kink or crimp resulting from the way in which thesefibers grow. This natural crimp is, of course, highly beneficial andcontributes largely to the strength of thread made of a multiplicity ofstaple length fibers. In addition, it is the natural crimp of thesefibers that imparts certain characteristics of texture and body tomaterials woven therefrom.

In contrast, synthetic fibers, as initially formed, do not have anyappreciable kink or crimp since they are generally formed in continuousmonofilaments. However, it is also well-known that most synthetic fiberscan be crimped and heat-set by passing the fibers through a heatedstuffing box.

Wall covering materials have been produced for years that have a bulky,thick napped, construction and appearance. In some instances, types ofcarpeting have been used to cover walls of offices and homes, forexample. Such heavy, substantial appearing wall covering materials maybe quite expensive due to the fact that in many instances they must bewoven in the same manner as conventional carpeting, even though suchwall coverings are not required to withstand the abuse and traffic thatfloor carpeting is subjected to. Therefore, the heavier designer wallcoverings are often significantly more expensive than the relativelythin wall paper or the like.

Similarly, wall paneling materials comprised of many different kinds andshades of woods are available to purchasers in many price ranges.Relatively thick solid wood paneling is generally more expensive ascompared to paneling that has a wood veneer associated with a layer ofplywood or pressed wood. The advantages of wall paneling include thefact that in some applications, it may be applied directly to wallstuds, therefore eliminating the need for plastering or the presence ofplasterboard between the studs and the paneling material.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to providea method of making nonwoven wall covering materials which arecharacterized by the simultaneous looping of a large number of fibers,threads or the like and the incorporation of the thus looped fibers intoa nonwoven fabric with the loops extending outwardly from the backinglayer, to thereby produce a novel high-loft wall covering material witha pleasing surface texture and appearance that may be applied directlyto a surface such as a wall, or the like.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a wall panelingcharacterized by a first layer comprising a highloft nonwoven fabrichaving a continuous backing of flexible adhesive and a multiplicity offibers individually looped outwardly from the backing and a second layerof nonflexible material, such as plywood or the like, secured to theadhesive backing.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method ofmaking a wall paneling whereby a relatively thin barrier layer isinterposed and secured to the backing of the high-loft nonwoven fabricand the nonflexible material to permit the use of any of a wide varietyof adhesives or adhesive means for securing the high-loft nonwovenfabric to the layer of nonflexible material.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a method ofmaking a high-loft nonwoven wall covering material that is economical ascompared to woven wall covering materials, but which may have theappearance of such woven materials.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become morereadily apparent upon reading the following detailed description andupon reference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a schematic view, in side elevation, of one form of apparatuswhich may be employed to produce a high-loft nonwoven fabric;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of an illustrative web of basematerial while still supported on a conveyor belt, somewhat simplifiedand exaggerated for the sake of clarity of illustration, with portionsbroken away to expose the various layers;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of one embodiment of the product madeby the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4 and 5, respectively, are greatly enlarged, simplified, andsomewhat exaggerated sectional views taken substantially along the lines44 and 5-5 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged schematic detail view, in side elevation, of theforming drum and gathering blade of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged schematic side elev ational view illustrating, insomewhat idealized fashion, successive stages in the sequence ofgathering and looping of individual fibers;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged schematic fragmentary view, taken substantiallyalong the line 8-8 of FIG. 7, here showing a fragment of the fiber weband adhesive pattern with illustrative fibers attached to the adhesive;

FIG. 9 is a simplified schematic view, taken substantially along theline 99 of FIG. 7, here showing the fragment of the fiber web andadhesive pattern depicted in FIG. 8 at a later stage in the loop formingsequence;

FIG. 10 is a schematic view, in side elevation, of one form of apparatusthat may supplement the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and is adapted toapply a second pattern of second adhesive in general registry with thefirst pattern of adhesive;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary plan view of an illustrative web of basematerial having two applications of adhesive, the view being somewhatsimplified and exaggerated for the sake of clarity of illustration, withportions broken away to expose the various layers;

FIG. 12 is a greatly enlarged, simplified and somewhat exaggeratedsectional view taken substantially along the line l212 of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a schematic view, in side elevation, of exemplary apparatuswhich may be employed to apply a means for securing the high-loft fabricto the nonflexible material;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary view of the wall paneling material, greatlyenlarged and in cross section, illustrating the various layers of thepaneling material;

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary view of the wall paneling material, greatlyenlarged and in cross section, illustrating the wall paneling materialhaving a barrier sheet as well as a securing means attached thereto;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view illustrating the wall paneling materialhaving been cut in predetermined size and shape for subsequentapplication to a surface; and,

FIGS. 17 through 20 illustrate, in plan view, exemplary alternativeadhesive patterns that may be used for the base web.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications andalternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by wayof example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. Itshould be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit theinvention to the particular forms disclosed, but, on the contrary, theintention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternativesfalling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in theappended claims.

TI-IE ENVIRONMENT OF THE INVENTION To produce a high-loft nonwovenfabric, a base web of fibers is first prepared and an open adhesivepattern is applied to one side of the web. Different procedures havebeen used in preparing the base web. For example, textile length fibersmay be processed through conventional cotton card machinery to produce acarded web for the base web. In such a carded web 50 to percent of thefibers may be oriented substantially par allel with the machinedirection. It has been found, however, that the most uniform product hasbeen obtained with the method of the present invention by using basewebs having a higher percentage of the fibers alined with the machinedirection such, merely by way of example, as a highly drafted web inwhich, as a result of the drafting process, to percent of the fibers maybe alined with the machine direction. Such webs of bonded, highlydrafted fibers, of course, have substantial utility in themselves andare the subject, for example, of the aforesaid copending US. Pat.applications Ser. Nos. 498,929 and 553,483, now US. Pat. No. 3,553,065.

One aspect of the present invention, however, goes far beyond thepreparation of an adhesively bonded carded web or the products andmethods disclosed in those two applications, and results in theformation of a wall paneling material having a high-loft,nonwovensurface which is significantly different from the nonwoven web utilizedas the base material. Another aspect of the present invention involves anew use for a highloft nonwoven fabric, the new use being as a wallcovering material.

Broadly stated, the method of the present invention regarding the wallpaneling material involves taking the base material and performing thesubsequent steps of: I) reactivating the open pattern of adhesive inwhich the fibers are embedded; and 2) consolidating the adhesive into abacking layer, while 3) simultaneously looping the portions of thefibers across the open spaces of the adhesive outwardly from the backinglayer formed by the consolidated adhesive, and 4) securing the thusproduced high-loft nonwoven fabric to a nonflexible material, such asplywood or the like. Further methods and steps may include applying asecond pattern of adhesive in general registry with the first patternprior to the reactivation and consolidation steps, and the step ofsecuring a barrier layer to the consolidated adhesive backing as well asa means for securing the barrier layer to the layer of nonflexiblematerial.

The resulting product has a surface that is characterized by the highloft or deep pile of loops of fibers which extend outwardly from theadhesive backing. The .particular depth of pile or degree of loft of theloops, of course, depends upon a combination of con- .trol parameters,including, for example: the type of and denier of the base fibers; andthe amount of and spacing within the original adhesive pattern; theangle of the gathering blade; and the relative speeds of fabric deliveryto and fabric discharge from the gathering blade; as will be discussedhereinafter.

By way of background, the basic method for producing a high-loftnonwoven fabric will now be described in detail. Turning now to thedrawings, FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an exemplary apparatus forproducing a high-loft nonwoven fabric. This apparatus includes a webforming section and an adhesive compacting and fiber' looping section30. The web forming section 10 is generally similar to the apparatusdisclosed in the aforesaid copending U.S. Pat. application, Ser. No.498,929, with certain modifications as disclosed in the aforesaidcopending U.S. Pat. application, Ser. No. 553,483 now U.S. Pat. No.3,553,065, but it is here shown in more complete and visible form thanshown in either of those disclosures. It will be appreciated as theensuing description proceeds, that fiber webs made in accordance withthe method disclosed in the aforesaid copending U.S. Pat. application,Ser. No. 498,929, are also usable with the subsequent method steps forproducing the hereinafter described fabric, as are carded webs and websprepared by other processes.

As shown in FIG. 1, multiple slivers 11 of textile fibers are drawn fromtheir respective supply cans (not shown) into a draw frame 12 whichcomprises a series of pairs of grooved rolls 13; the rolls of each pairbeing driven by appropriate gearing (not shown, but well known in theart) at a peripheral rate of speed somewhat faster than the rate ofoperation of the preceding pair. Merely by way of example, the pairs ofrolls 13 may be adjusted to provide an over-all increase in speed and,therefore, an extent of fiber draw on the order of l5:l through the drawframe 12. 'As the juxtaposed slivers pass through draw frame 12, theindividual fibers are drafted and spread out to form a flat, striatedweb of substantially alined fibers as shown at 14. Web 14 is maintainedadjacent a supporting conveyor sheet 15 on the surface of which adhesivehas been pre viously applied in a preselected pattern.

In this embodiment, the conveyor sheet 15 comprises an endless conveyorbelt treated on at least its upper surface with a release agent. Oneexample of such a belt comprises woven glass fiber with a surfacecoating of tetrafluoroethylene resin. Other examples of release coatingsare well known, and comprise such materials as silicones, fatty acidmetal complexes, certain acrylic polymers, and the like. Heat resistantfilms or thin metal sheets treated with release agents may also be usedas the carrier sheet.

Prior to the time the web 14 is picked up by the belt 15, the latter hasimprinted on its release-treated surface a pattern of flexible,thermoplastic adhesive such as is shown at 16 in FIG. 2. It will be.understood that, as shown in FIG. 1, the adhesive is actually on theunderside of belt 15 which becomes the upper surface after passingaround roll 17, at which time the adhesive pattern 16 directly contactsthe fiber web 14. The pattern is shown as being visible in FIG. 2 onlyfor illustrative purposes.

The belt 15 is fed around roll 17 at a speed slightly in excess of thedelivery speed of the final pair of rolls 13 of draw frame 12 in orderto maintain web 14 under slight tension, whereby the individualhighly-drafted fibers are retained in their alined and tensionedcondition. Drive rolls 18, 19 are rotated (by suitable drive means, notshown) to drive belt 15 at a speed sufficient to maintain the propertension on the web l4.

In the method shown for applying adhesive, the belt 15 is fed through anip formed between a printing roll 20 and a back-up roll 21 maintainedin very light pressure engagement therewith. The surface of printingroll 20 is provided with an intaglio pattern to which adhesive may besupplied in various ways well known to those skilled in the art. Forexample, in the aforesaid parent U.S. Pat. application, Ser. No.769,959, a system is schematically disclosed wherein the lower portionof the printing roll 20 picks up adhesive directly from a dip pan, withexcess adhesive being removed by a doctor blade, thus leaving only theintaglio patterned surface filled. However, it has been found that moresatisfactory results are obtained by pumping or otherwise transferringadhesive 22 from a supply pan 23 to a reservoir located immediatelyabove an inclined doctor blade 24--the reservoir being defined in partby the upper surface of the inclined doctor blade and the adjacentportion of the rotating peripheral surface of the printing roll 20.Thus, as the printing roll 20 rotates (in a counterclockwise directionas viewed in FIG. I), the intaglio patterned surface thereof is filledwith adhesive 22,excess adhesive is removed by the doctor blade 24, anda metered amount of adhesive is then transferred to the underside ofrelease coated belt 15 in a preselected pattern. The pattern shown inFIG. 2 is in the form of an open diamond pattern ,of adhesive.

The particular dimensions of the intaglio pattern employed and, indeed,the actual pattern itself, are not critical to the practice of theinvention in its broadest aspects. Thus, it has been found that patternsother than the illustrative'diamond pattern hereinabove referred to canbe utilized, and certain of such patterns will be subsequently describedin connection with FIGS. 17-20. For illustrative purposes, however, itis noted that excellent results have been achieved where a diamondpattern was employed in which adjacent linesof adhesive were spacedapart in both directions by one-fourth, and wherein the intaglioprinting roll 20 had adhesive cells or lines 0.007 inch deep and 0.025inch wide. In certain instances, however, it has been found that thedimensions of the adhesive cells or lines, together with their spacing,are critical and must differ from the foregoing exemplary dimensions,and certain of such other arrangements are disclosed in the aforesaidcopending U.S. Pat. applications, Ser. Nos. 856,793 and 77,840, both ofwhich are assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

Since the surface of belt15 is treated with a release coating, theadhesive remains substantially on the surface with no penetrationtherein and is preferably in a somewhat tacky condition. The printedbelt is drawn from the printing nip around roll 17 positioned closelyadjacent the output end of draw frame 12 and, as stated above, at aspeed slightly in excess of the delivery speed of the last two rolls inthe draw frame. The web 14 emerging from the draw frame 12 is depositedon the tacky adhesive 16 on belt l5.'and held in tensioned engagementtherewith by the adhesive and the abovementioned speed difierential.This continuous tension prevents the fibers in the web from losing theirhighlydrafted and alined condition.

In practicing the method additional alined and-highly-drafted fibers maybe added to the web 14 on the adhesively printed belt 15. For thispurpose, a second draw frame 25 similar to the draw frame 12 is providedto draw additional slivers 26 of fibers from their supply cans (notshown) and, after drafting and alining them, to deposit the fibers onthe moving web 14 carried by the belt 15. In such cases, the amount ofadhesive printed on the belt 15 may be increased to insure that some ofthe adhesive in the adhesive pattern 16 penetrates the fibers of web 14drawn from the draw frame 12 and reaches the fibers drawn from slivers26 which pass through the second draw frame 25. The arrangement is suchthat the adhesive contact between the fibers drawn from slivers 26 andthe pattern 16, together with the speed differential of the belt 15relative to the last pair of rolls in the draw frame 25, maintains thefibers drawn from slivers 26 under slight tension, whereby they alsomaintain their highly-drafted and alined condition. I

The fibers deposited on the web 14 from draw frames 12 and 25 need notbe the same kind, size, color or quantity. Nor, for that matter, do thefibers of the slivers 11 and 26 need to be uniform in these respects asthey are drawn into the draw frames 12 and 25. Thus, various blends offiber sizes, kinds, colors and quantities can be deposited across theweb 14 from each of the draw frames 12 and 25 and in variouscombinations of first and second layers of fibers. Additional drawframes can also be employed if desired.

The fibers from each of the draw frames 12 and 25 pass under respectivebars 27 and 28 before being deposited on the belt 15. The bars 27, 28may be oscillatedin a direction generally transverse to the movement ofthe web 14 and, preferably, provision is also made for controlling thefrequency and amplitude of the oscillation of one bar relative to theother. Thus, as each bar is oscillated, the fibers deposited from therespective draw frames 12 and 25 take on a generally sinusoidal orsaw-tooth wave pattern of controlled frequency and amplitude. A simple,but somewhat similar, oscillating bar arrangement is disclosed in theaforesaid copending U.S. Pat. application, Ser. No. 553,483. However,the single bar arrangement there disclosed did not afford, nor evencontemplate, the significantly improved attributes made possible by thepresent invention.

An example of the web 14 formed on the illustrative apparatus (FIG. 1)is shown in FIG. 2. As previously mentioned, a series of parallel anddiagonally disposed lines of adhesive are printed in criss-cross fashionon the belt 15 to form a pattern 16 of adhesive having substantiallyopen spaces in the configuration of diamonds. In depositing the fibersfrom the first draw frame 12, the bar 27 was not, in this instance,oscillated. Thus, the fibers making up the first component 14a of theweb 14 are substantially all alined in the direction of web movement.The fibers making up the second component 14b of the web, however, willbe seen to be deposited in a generally wavy or saw-tooth pattern as aresult of oscillation of the bar 28 associated with the second drawframe 25, thus altering the appearance characteristics of the finishedfabric. In addition, oscillation of the bars 27 and/or 28 serves toalter the structural and functional characteristics of the fabricin.that a controllable percentage of the fibers may be deposited on theopen adhesive pattern at an angle to the machine direction. It has beenfound that such fibers do not interfere to any significant extent withthe subsequent fiber looping steps. Moreover, it is believed that thepresence of such fibers extending at an angle to the machine directionserves to increase the crossdirectional strength of the fabric beingproduced by actually increasing the number of oriented fibers whichextend partially in the fabric cross-direction. Preferably, when bothbars 27 and 28 are oscillated they are oscillated in out-of-phaserelation to one another so as to cause fibers in one web component 14ato cross fibers in the other web component 14b at even greater angleswhile simultaneously maintaning the fibers in a highly oriented state.It will, of course, be understood that the phase and amplitude of theoscillated fiber pattern may be selectively adjusted and controlled toprovide a controlled angular deposition of fibers on the open adhesivepattern 16, thus enabling control of the cross-directional strengthcharacteristics of the fabric resulting from fiber oscillation. Thiswill, of course, vary dependent upon various other parameters such, forexample, as the type of fibers employed, the type of adhesive employed,fiber-adhesive ratios, gathering ratios, and indeed, the particular enduse to which the fabric is to be put. Consequently, in many instances itmay not be desirable to oscillate either bar 27 or 28. It should beappreciated, of course, that FIG. 2 is only intended to be illustrativeand, while the lines representing the fibers for both components 14a and14b are spaced apart for clarity, in practice the highly-drafted fibersof both components are very close to one another.

Also for illustrative purposes it will be noted that web component 14bhas three bands of fibers designated color. These bands of fibers may bethe same or different colors; but, in any event, they differ from thecolor of the balance of the fibers of web component 14b. Further, aspreviously mentioned, the fibers of web component 14b may differ fromthose of component 14a in kind, size, color or quantity depending uponthe desired color pattern and surface characteristics of the finalproduct, as more specifically described below.

Following deposit of web components 14a and 14b on the adhesive printedbelt 15, the belt is drawn around a heated curing drum 29 where fusingand curing of the adhesive is substantially completed while the web 14is maintained in firm contact therewith to bond the individual fibers.To insure effective heating and fusing of the adhesive, it is desirablethat travel of the combined belt and web be around a substantial portionof the drum 29. In the illustrated embodiment, a fly roll 29a ispositioned to apply tension on the combined belt and web as they'travelaround the drum 29 to insure complete embedment of the fibers in theadhesive. The fibers of the web 14 are thus bonded together whileretaining their highly-drafted and substantially alined condition in theparticular pattern in which they were deposited on the open pattern ofadhesive 16 printed on the belt 15.

After leaving the fly roll 29a, the combined web 14 and belt 15 arepreferably passed over the drive roll 19, which also serves as a coolingdrum to set the adhesive. The bonded web 14 is stripped from therelease-coated surface of the belt 15 by the guide roll 31 as the webleaves the cooling drum 19.

While various well-known adhesives may be employed in the foregoingprocess, advantages reside in the use of plastisols, which are colloidaldispersions of synthetic resins in a suitable organic ester plasticizer,and which, under the influence of heat, provide good binding power whileremaining soft and flexible. While many adhesives of this type areknown, those found particularly useful for incorporation in the productof this invention include vinyl chloride polymers, and copolymers ofvinyl chloride with other vinyl resins, plasticized by organicphthalates, sebacates, or adipates. These provide a fast curingplastisol adhesive characterized by relatively low viscosity, lowmigration tendencies, and minimum volatility. Such adhesives remain softand flexible after curing, and can be reactivated by subsequent heating.

It has been found that other adhesives may be employed in theprocess-for example, organisols utilizing resins such as the vinylchloride polymers and copolymers. Furthermore, still other adhesives maybe employed provided that they satisfy specified characteristics in thebase web produced in the web forming section 10, and in the finishedfabric produced in the adhesive compacting and fiber looping section 30(FIG. 1). In general, such adhesives should be applied to the base webby procedures which will not disarrange the fibrous structure of theweb; such adhesives should heatset at temperatures below the degradationtemperature of the fibers in the base web 14 to secure bonding of thefibers to the adhesive; such adhesives should be reactivatable in thesubsequent adhesiye gathering and consolidation stage of the process,and such adhesives should form a flexible backing layer for the finishedfabric and should strongly bond the fiber loops in place. For example,emulsions of thermoplastic resins such as acrylics and rubber-likecompounds, illustratively ABS, have the requisite properties to serve asthe bonding adhesive for the web 14.

The base material, made as heretofore described and comprising a web 14of highly-drafted fibers embedded in an open adhesive pattern, is fedinto the adhesive consolidating and fiber looping section 30 of theapparatus shown in FIG. 1. As shown here, the web 14 continues directlyfrom the web forming section 10 to the consolidating and looping section30. It should be appreciated, however, that the web 14 discharged fromsection 10 could be rolled up for storage or transport and thensubsequently unrolled and fed into section 30. Also, as previouslymentioned, other webs such, merely by way of example, as those made inaccordance with the methods disclosed in the aforesaid copending U.S.Pat. applications, Ser. Nos. 498,929 and 553,483, can be furtherprocessed in section 30.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the web 14, while still under tension, is fedaround an idler roll 32 and on to the surface of a heated forming drum37. In its preferred embodiment, the drum 37 is made of metal with ahighly polished, chromium plated surface which is heated and maintainedat a temperature of approximately 250 F. Also, the web 14 is arranged totravel a substantial distance around the drum 37 with the open patternof adhesive 16 in contact with the heated drum surface. As the web 14 isfed onto the drum 37, the heat from the drum surface reactivates andsoftens the adhesive printed on the underside of the web, causing it tobe tacky and to adhere slightly to the drum surface, thereby maintainingthe web under constant tension. The drum temperature, which ismaintained at about 250 F., is, however, maintained below the meltingpoint of the adhesive to prevent dispersion of the adhesive into thefibers of the web.

The web 14 of fibers and softened adhesive is reformed by thecooperative action of the drum 37 and a gathering blade 38 having a flatedge 39. The blade edge 39 operates to consolidate the open adhesivepattern 16 into a substantially continuous backing layer of adhesive,while simultaneously looping the fibers of the web outwardly frombetween the open spaces in the original adhesive pattern. The reformedand consolidated material 40 then leaves the blade edge 39 and movesonto a flat take-off surface 41 and a discharge conveyor 52.

Turning now to FIGS. 7-9, the method of making the novel high-loft,nonwoven fabric 40 will be explained in greater detail in connectionwith an illustrative sequence of the gathering and looping of a singlefiber of the web 14 and the consolidation of its two original points ofadhesive attachment in the pattern 16. As seen in FIG. 8, the fiber hasa portion P which extends across the open space of the diamond patternof adhesive 16 from point A to point B where it is embedded in theadhesive. Referring to FIG. 7, the series of views in this Figureillustrates how the portion P of the fiber is formed into a loop; viz.,when point A being carried around the heated drum 37 impinges againstthe gathering blade edge 39, its forward motion is halted and it isscraped along the surface of the drum, while point B continues toadvance with the drum surface since, due to its softened and tackycondition, it adheres to the smooth drum surface. As point B advancesrelative to point A, the portion P of the fiber between points A and Bis caused to bow outwardly from the drum surface. Finally, point Bovertakes point A and these points of adhesive are substantiallyconsolidated as seen in FIG. 9. In the meantime, fiber portion P hasbeen looped outwardly from the drum surface.

It will, of course, be understood that while looping of fiber portion Pis occurring, additional adhesive points C-D, etc., travelling aroundthe drum 37 impinge against the gathering blade edge 39 causing aconsolidation of these adhesive points and looping of their intermediatefiber portions I as is also indicated in FIG. 9. This occurssimultaneously at all points across the web at the blade edge, producinga substantially continuous backing layer of adhesive from which extendsthe multiplicity of loops formed by the fibers of the base web. The thusformed substantially consolidated layer of adhesive is carried away fromthe blade edge 39 along the take-ofi surface 41 and provides asubstantially continuous backing layer for the outwardly looped fibers,thus producing the fabric 40.

While in the preferred form, it is desired to achieve substantiallycomplete consolidation of the adhesive into a continuous backing layer,in practice it has been found that the degree of consolidation variesrandomly throughout the substantially continuous backing and, therefore,it is possible to draw the fabric slightly, thus producing asubstantially continuous adhesive backing layer with random openingstherethrough. Since complete consolidation, while desirable, is notnecessarily attained in practice the degree of consolidation is definedherein, and in the appended claims, in terms such as to consolidate theopen adhesive pattern into a substantially continuous adhesive layer.Thus, those skilled in the art will appreciate that terms such asconsolidate" as used herein and in the appended claims are intended toconnote an arrangement for consolidating or compacting the open adhesivepattern into a substantially continuous adhesive backing layeralbeitthat such substantially continuous backing may have, and often willhave, small random fissures and gaps therein-all as distinguished fromthe arrangement disclosed in the aforesaid copending U.S. Pat.application, Ser. No. 820,224, wherein the open adhesive pattern is onlypartially consolidated to minimize bonding of adjacent lines of adhesiveand thus forms discontinuous adhesive backing layer characterized by itselasticity and/or stretchability.

Another important feature is that not only does each fiber portion Ploop outwardly from the drum surfaces but, also, as the loop is formedit turns, reaching a position in the fabric 40 generally perpendicularto the direction of the original alinement of fiber portion P. Thus, thefiber loops arrange themselves so that the plane of each loop issubstantially normal to the original fiber alinement shown in FIG. 8.The reason for the loop twisting as it is formed may be explained bythis observation. If two spaced points of a single fiber not in a webare brought together, it has been observed that the fiber will form aloop and, as the loop is formed, it twists towards a position of minimuminternal stress, turning through an angle which tends to approach 180.In carrying out the method because of the great number of fibers in theweb and their proximity one to another, each fiber loop engages theneighboring fiber loops with the result that all the loops are blockedfrom turning beyond the plane substantially normal to the machinedirection, and are constrained in that position by the interferencebetween the loops. In practice, of course, the actual direction anddegree of loop twist depend upon the characteristics of the fibers inthe original web 14.

It is important to note, however, that throughout the fabric the heightsof the fiber loops vary according to the spacing between the points ofattachment of each fiber to the open adhesive pattern in the base web.Referring to FIGS. 4, 8 and 9, it will be seen, for example, that theloop formed by the fiber portion P between the points of adhesiveattachment C, D will have a lower height than the loop formed by thelonger fiber portion P between the points A, B. On the other hand,however, successive loops in advance in adjacent diamonds, when viewedin a vertical section taken along the machine direction (FIG. will havethe same height since the fiber length P will remain the same betweensuccessive sets of points A, B. This results in a dense fabric with thelower loops supporting and filling around the higher loops and the topsurface of the fabric being formed by the tops of the higher loops.

The appearance of a fabric so constructed depends not only on the heightof the fiber loops but, also, on the type and denier of the fiber usedin the base web, and one of the features of the invention is that thedepth of the fabric and the evenness of the surface may be varied byadjusting selected ones of the control parameters, as will be explainedbelow. In general, it may be said that for both relatively low andmoderate height high-loft materials which have been produced with themethod of this invention, the fabric appears to have a uniform thicknesswith a somewhat uneven surface texture. With very deep high-loftfabrics, particularly those made from flexible, low denier fibers, thehigher loops tend to lay one over the other, thus providing a very soft,napped, fuzzy, fibrous surface.

To illustrate the effect of varying one of the control parameters, inthis case, the angle of the edge of the blade 38 relative to the drum 37will now be described. Referring to FIG. 6, it will be seen that theblade edge 39 forms an angle a with the line T tangent to the surface ofthe drum 37. It has been found that the blade edge angle a is oneparameter that determines the depth of the fabric produced and thedegree of uniformity of consolidation of the adhesive backing layer.

As a result of trying different blade angles, it has been determinedthat the preferred blade edge angle a when dealing with adhesivepatterns having lines of adhesives spaced approximately A inch apart isbetween about 17 and about 34. With blades having edge angles withinthis preferred range, fabrics have been produced which are characterizedby having a high degree of uniformity of consolidation of the adhesivebacking layer which is substantially void of fissures or gaps and, byhaving a dense, regular mass of loops that provide a textured, somewhatuneven surface.

With blades having edge angles a less than 17, difficulty has beenexperienced in obtaining a uniformly consolidated adhesive backinglayer. This appears to be the result of insufficient relief between theblade edge and the drum surface for the fabric to flow evenly andsmoothly off the drum surface as the result of the action of the blade,which produces varying degrees of consolidation of the adhesive and anonuniform layer with fissures and gaps and scattered areas where thelooping is irregular, tending to spoil the surface appearance of thefabric. With blades having edge angles substantially above 34, both theproblem of non-uniform adhesive consolidation and poor loop formationhas been experienced. There is also a tendency as the angle a of theblade edge is increased substantially above 34 for the fabric to beformed with pronounced ridges, which may be undesirable in the finishedproduct.

In practice, it has been found that one of the major factors effectingthe thickness of the fabric is the loop height as determined and limitedby the spacing between points of fiber adhesive attachment A-B, C-D,etc. (FIG. 8). To obtain the maximum thickness of the fabric with agiven adhesive pattern, the blade edge angle a should be such as toproduce not only sufficient consolidation of the adhesive layer toprovide good .fiber attachment throughout the fabric but, alsosufficient consolidation to insure the production of a maximum number offull height fiber loops. Thus, as the blade edge angle increases, thecondition is approached where the web is being skived off the rollrather than being consolidated and gathered. The fabrics produced withhigher blade edge angles a have reduced adhesive consolidation andfabric thickness because fewer loops reach their maximum height.

In using a blade 38 having an edge angle awithin the preferred range, ithas been found that the fabric loft may be regulated by changing themachine direction dimension of the adhesive pattern. Thus, by increasingthis dimension, the height of the loops may be increased, therebyincreasing the fabric loft. Larger diameter fibers, strands, or yarnsmay also be used as the elements of the base web to produce heavier,carpetlike finished fabrics. The adhesive and its pattern of applicationmust, however, take into consideration the amount of adhesive requiredto form the backing layer under the consolidating action of thegathering blade 38, and sufficient adhesive must be present to provide asubstantially continuous backing layer of sufiicient thickness to obtainstrong attachment of the loops in the finished fabric. More specificdisclosures of types Ser. No. 77,840, both of which are assigned to theassignee of the present invention.

Now turning to a consideration of a different control parameterviz., thelocation of the take-away surface 41-the preferred location of thetake-away surface is, as shown in the extreme right-hand view in FIG. 7,tight against the blade 38 and even with the outside corner 39' of theblade. With the surface 41 in this preferred location, the fabric mayhave a moderately even surface texture and a dense mass of loops forminga deep, high-loft pile.

It has been found that by lowering the take-away surface 41 a distance Y(FIG. 7) from its preferred location, the structure of the fabric willbe drastically affected, in that the bulk of the fabric may be increasedsubstantially by lowering the take-away surface 41. The effect oflowering the surface is somewhat similar to the effect from using ablade 38 with an edge angle a substantially above the preferred range inthat pronounced ridges are also produced in the fabric, therebyincreasing its bulk. The amount that the take-away surface is lowereddoes clearly effect the degree of bulking, and it is apparently the casethat as the distance Y increases, the fabric bulk increases. v

A further related parameter that affects the gathering function of theblade is the take-away speed of the fabric from the blade edge. Withblade 38 having an edge angle within the preferred range, and atake-away surface at the preferred location, the take-away speed isdesirably regulated to remove the newly formed fabric at the rate atwhich it is being formed, and it has been found that under theseconditions the normal ratio of the surface speed of the heating drum 37to the takeaway speed will be about 12:1. By increasing the ratio up to,for example, 15:], by slowing down the fabric take-away speed, moreuniform adhesive consolidation has been obtained while the mass of thefiber loops is made somewhat more dense, so that a fabric with a higherweight has been produced. By increasing the fabric take-away speed, suchthat the fabric is not allowed to gather at the blade edge 39, thefabric will be drawn or extended while the adhesive layer is still in aplastic condition, thereby opening the adhesive layer, thinning thefabric pile, and reducing the weight of the finished material.

In addition to the diamond pattern, other adhesive patterns which may beused include unevenly spaced lines of application, such as criss-crossedsine waves 80 as shown in FIG. 17. The spacing of such lines of adhesivemay furthermore be increased or decreased to change the maximum heightof the element loops and, thus, the depth and surface texture of thefinished material.

When criss-crossed lines of adhesive are used, the loops of the fabricwill have varying heights due to the different spacings of the points ofattachment (A-B, C-D-FIG. 8) of the base web elements to the adhesive.To produce a fabric with loops of uniform height, the adhesive isapplied to the base web 14 in lines evenly spaced apart and extendingacross the web. Furthermore, the spacing between the lines of adhesivemay be increased or decreased to obtain a higher or a lower pile height,as desired. Referring to FIG. 18, one such adhesive pattern isillustrated in the form of evenly spaced diagonal lines 82. Another suchadhesive pattern is illustrated in FIG. 19, in the form of lines 84,each in the shape of a sine wave. A brick-like pattern is another suchpattern as shown in FIG. 20. If broken lines of adhesive are utilized toobtain element looping-such, for example, as the brick-like pattern ofFIG.

-20the gaps in the lines of adhesive 86 should be staggered so that theweb elements longitudinally span the spaces between the adhesive linesand are securely attached to the adhesive.

When the spacing of points of attachment of the fbers to the adhesivevaries regularly over the area of the base web as, for example, when anopen diamond pattern of adhesive is used, the loops in the finishedfabric will vary in height in a regular manner to provide a uniformlyvarying surface having a textured appearance. When, on the other hand,an open pattern of adhesive is used in which, in the cross direction ofthe base web 14, the lines of adhesive are parallel, or evenly spaced,it will be seen that the spacing of points of attachment of the elementsto the adhesive will be uniform over the total area of the fabric, andthe loops in the finished fabric will be of uniform height to provide amore even surface. The appearance of such a surface will, of course, beaffected by the characteristics of the elements which form the loops.Thus, where the elements are yarn or heavy strands of fibers such, forexample, as disclosed in the aforesaid copending U.S. Pat. applicationof Herman G. Minshell, Robert J. Stumpf and William .I. Mattes, Ser. No.77,840, the loops will be clearly visible, while where the elements aresmall diameter, flexible fibers, the surface will have a fibrousappearance, the fiber looping being less evident.

It has been observed that the transverse adhesive lines, whenconsolidated by the action of the gathering blade 38, are moved intoproximity or abutment with each other and, being in a soft tacky statedue to the high temperature of the heating drum 37, tend to bond to eachother. However, the bond between lines of adhesive may be broken and theopen pattern of adhesive substantially restored by drawing the fabric inthe machine direction after the adhesive backing layer has been cooled,all as more clearly described in the aforesaid copending U.S. Pat.application Ser. No. 820,224. It may thus be demonstrated that thebacking layer, while it appears to be continuous in the finished fabric,actually comprises lines of adhesive extending in the cross direction ofthe fabric and bonded to each other.

In the application of the adhesive to the base web, it has been observedthat by increasing the adhesive viscosity, a sharp, distinct printedpattern will be obtained such that the fibers are securely attached tothe adhesive at distinct spaced points and are not embedded in adhesivethroughout their length. It is desired to have spaced points of fiberadhesive attachment so that the fiber loops will be distinctly andseparately formed at the gathering blade in such a manner as to extendoutwardly from the adhesive bonding layer. Fiber sizes between l-kdenier and 15 denier have been successfully utilized in the base web 14with a /4 inch diamond pattern of adhesive. With higher denier fibers,or with strands or yarns used in the preparation of the base web, theadhesive pattern is preferably enlarged so as to insure attachment ofthe fibers or strands to the adhesive at spacings along the length ofthe threads or yarns which will define the depth of pile or degree ofloft in the finished material. With the light-weight webs of rayon theratio of fiber to adhesive is preferably approximately 1:1. It has beenfound that the degree of adhesive fiber attachment in the base web wasaffected when the fiber-to-adhesive ratio with such type fibers wassubstantially increased above 1:1, so that the fiber loops did not formproperly at the blade 38, nor did the fibers have sufficient attachmentto the adhesive layer in the finished fabric. On the other hand,increasing the relative amount of adhesive in the base web had theresult of producing a thicker adhesive layer in' the finished materialand more secure fiber attachment, but the adhesive lines tend todisperse so that the pattern becomes less open, thereby affecting theheight of the loops, which is undesirable. The fiber-adhesive ratio willbe different, however, for base webs of yarns and threads where itappears that less amounts of adhesive, relatively speaking, will provideadequate attachment of the loops to the adhesive backing layer.

While staple length rayon fibers may be used for the preparation of thefabrics, other fibers may also be used in the process in its preferredform, and have resulted in fabrics of excellent properties of hand,drape, and appearance.

For example, acrylic, olefin and polyester fibers have been used, and itis within the contemplation of the in vention to use any or all of thesefibers by themselves or in blends, as well as natural fibers, acetate,nylon and other synthetic fibers in staple length or in monofilamentform, any of which may be used for the preparation of the base web 14.Moreover, not only highly drafted webs and carded webs of staple lengthfibers may be used for the base web, but, also, garneted and I air-laidwebs of such fibers as well as directly laid alined webs ofmonofilament. It has been noted, however, that when webs such as cardedwebs are used for the base web in which an important proportion of thefibers are randomly oriented, those fibers not alined with the machinedirection appear to interfere with the loop production by the gatheringblade. The most regular formation of loops with the loops turned normalto the machine direction has been produced with those base webs havingthe highest proportion of fibers alined with the machine direction as,for example, the highly drafted webs made with the apparatus illustratedschematically in FIG. 1.

It is also contemplated that flexible threads, yarns or strands may beused for forming a base web, provided that the flexibility of suchelements is high enough to permit looping of the fibers and turning ofthe loops in the manner heretofore described. To obtain regular loops ofsuch elements in the finished material, it is clear that substantiallyall such elements should be parallel and extend longitudinally of theweb, for loop formation will be interfered with by those elements thatsubstantially depart from such longitudinal alinement.

It has been found that in order to produce a material fully inaccordance with the present invention, the elements should besufficiently flexible to allow the loops to form and to twist normal tothe machine direction while being formed under the action of theadhesive consolidating and gathering blade 38. Thus, neither stiffstrands which do not loop under the action of the gathering blade, normultiple strand yarns in which the lay of the strands opposes thetendency of the loops to twist while being formed under the action ofthe blade, will satisfactorily serve as elements of the base web 14 whenit is desired to produce a fabric fully in accordance with the presentinvention.

It will therefore, be seen that the features of the finished fabric aredetermined by the characteristics of the particular elements used in theformation of the base web 14 and, to some extent at least, by,the natureof the process used in forming the base web.

Additional preliminary steps in the formation of the base web 14, aswell as subsequent steps for processing the fabric 40 after it flowsfrom the gathering blade 38, may be optionally carried out to alter thecharacteristics of the finished fabric.

Referring to FIG. 1, the base web 14, as has been previously described,may be formed of webs from two drafting frames 12, 25 supplied withstaple length fibers or monofilaments. Patterns of color or of fiberswhich differ from the main constituent of the fabric may be introducedinto the finished fabric 40 by utilizing certain preliminary steps inthe formation of the base webs.

For example, the underweb from the first drafting frame 12 may be madefrom fibers of a solid color while at spaced intervals across the baseweb 14a bands of one or more colors may be introduced by passing coloredfibers through the second draw frame 25 so that the colored fibers arelaid on the underweb 14a. The top layer 14b of fibers may be applied inthe pattern desired and, it has been found, will effectively screen outthe underweb color in most instances so that the finished material willdisplay a striped appearance.

The top layer 14b of fibers from the draw frame 25 may also beintroduced in a wavy or saw-tooth pattern to produce either a wavy orsaw-tooth effect completely across the fabric, as illustrated in FIG. 2,or in bands across the fabric as desired.

Alternatively, the under layer 14a of the base web 14 may embodydifferent colored fibers by having the fibers at the margins, forexample, of one color while the fibers across the center of the web areof a different color or colors. To this end, different colored fibersmay be introduced through either or both draw frames 12 and/or 25. Thetop layer of fibers may be in the form of spaced bands of fibers acrossthe web, or the different color may be introduced through only thesecond draw frame 25 by laying down a uniform layer of fibers in whichat least certain of the adjacent slivers are of different colors. Wherethe top layer of the base web comprises spaced bands of fibers, it willbe appreciated that the finished fabric will have a varying weightacross the web, with a double weight and a more dense mass of loops inthe bands where the top fibers are laid down.

Other procedures may be used for introducing patterns into the finishedfabric. For example, a layer of fibers in the form of a section of a webfrom the second draw frame 25 may be laid on a web from the first drawframe 12 or onto a carded web underlayer. Due to the consolidationoperation performed by the gathering blade 38, the pattern will beshortened lengthwise but not appreciably disarranged laterally, suchthat whatever the pattern introduced into the top layer of the base web14, it will appear in the finished fabric in its fore-shortened form. Apattern of fibers may be introduced into the top draw frame 25, whichwill operate to aline the fibers and will draw or extend the pattern inthe machine direction. The subsequent shortening effect by the gatheringblade 38 will tend to reduce the pattern to its original form in thoseinstances where the extent of the draw in the drafting frame25illustratively l:l-is approximately the same as the takeaway ratio.

As shown in FIG. 1, the fabric 40 is carried along the take-away surface41 by the action of the conveyor 52. Since the adhesive backing is hotand tacky as the fabric flows onto the take-away surface 41, thatsurface may be treated with a non-stick or release coating to insurethat the fabric may be drawn smoothly along the surface.

To cool the belt of the conveyor 52 and prevent it from becomingoverheated from the hot adhesive back of the fabric 40, streams of airmay be blown against the underside of the belt from suitably placed airnozzles 54. This will also serve to cool the fabric 40, although it maybe necessary or desirable to pass the fabric through a cooling stationor zone (not shown) to cool the adhesive and thermoplastic fibers totemperatures below their softening temperatures or to eliminatetackiness of the adhesive.

THE SECOND PRINTING OF ADHESIVE A further method step in the productionof a high-loft fabric is disclosed in the aforesaid copending US. Pat.application of Herman G. Minshell, Robert J. Stumpf, and William .I.Mattes, Ser. No. 77,840, and basically involves the application of asecond adhesive pattern in general registry upon the first appliedopenpattern of adhesive.

Referring to FIG. 10, an exemplary apparatus is shown for applying thesecond adhesive pattern to the base web, with the apparatus beingsuitably inserted between portions of the apparatus shown in FGI. 1after the web is passed over by roller 31 and before it reaches the drum37. The exemplary apparatus 90 includes a first cooling station 92 forcooling the web and first adhesive pattern applied thereto, an adhesiveapplication station 94 substantially similar to the adhesive applicationportion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, a curing roller 96 similar tothe roller 29, and a second cooling station 98 for cooling the web priorto its traveling to the drum 37. The printing roller of the adhesiveapplicator station 94 also has an intaglio patterned surfacesubstantially similar to the printing roll shown in FIG. 1, so that asecond adhesive pattern 16 is applied in general registry to the firstpattern of adhesive 16. In the event additional detailed information isdesired concerning the method of its application, reference is made tothe above mentioned copending application.

The double printing of adhesive on the fiber web may offer distinctadvantages in the resulting fabric, depending upon the particularfibers, threads, or the like that are being used. For example assumingthe wall covering material is to be produced incorporating relativelyheavy denier fibers, as well as yarns, threads or the like that haveeither single or multiple threads, the double printing of adhesive inmany instances insures the secure attachment of the ends of the loopswithin the adhesive backing, but does not interfere with the proper loopformation during the consolidation stage of the method. As iscomprehensively described in the above copending application, thethickness of a single pattern of adhesive may be increased only to adegree. Although additional increased thickness may be required toproperly secure the ends of the loops within the adhesive, thesubsequent increasing of the adhesive thickness often interferes withthe proper formation of the individual loops. Additionally, attendantproblems of adhesive migration may interfere with the loop formationresulting in the fabric having an inferior quality and appearance. Also,the adhesives being applied to the web may be different witheach oflthedifferent adhesives having characteristics contributing to a betterquality fabric; For example the adhesive applied in the first patternmay be characteristically adapted to enhance the fiber holding orretaining capabilities, while the second adhesive applied in registrywith the first pattern may have qualities which contribute to betterconsolidation during the adhesive consolidation and fiber looping step.

Thus, it is seen that for particular types of fibers, threads or thelike that are incorporated into the base web,the double printing ofadhesive step may be ad vantageously utilized.

THE MANUFACTURE OF WALL .PANELING MATERIAL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEPRESENT INVENTION In carrying out the method of the present invention,the high-loft, nonwoven fabric produced during the consolidation step issubjected to additional method steps to yield the final wall panellingmaterial.

The high-loft nonwoven fabric is then secured to a nonflexible material18 such as A inch, inch or '6 inch plywood or pressed wood stock,although other materials such as heavy cardboard, a plastic orplasticlike material may conceivably be used. Since the backing of thefabric is a consolidated adhesive, it may be heated to reactivate anouter surface portion to make it tacky and may thereafter be secured tothe nonflexible material 118. However, care must be taken to prohibitreactivation of the whole adhesive backing, which may cause the embeddedends of the loops to work out of..the backing or otherwise depart fromtheir preferred configuration which may adversely affect the appearanceof the outer surface. A cross-sectional view of the fabric applied tothe nonflexible material by this method is shown in FIG. 14. Of course,other means for securing the fabric to the nonflexible material may beused, such as separately applying, either to the fabric or to thenonflexible material, a coating of adhesive in melt form immediatelyprior to the placing of the fabric on the nonflexible material. The typeof adhesive used to secure the fabric to the nonflexible material mayrequire the addition of a barrier layer to theadhesive backing of thefabric for reasons that will beexplained below. Apparatus that willlaminate the barrier layer as well as another adhesive system that maybe used for securing the barrier layer to the nonflexible material willnow be described. i

For laminating the barrier layer to the fabric 40, the laminatingstation 100 includes a calendar roll 102 which may have a hard rubbersurface, and a preheat roll 104, which' together form a nip forlaminating the barrier layer 106 originating from supply roll 108. Toinsure securement of the barrier layer to the adhesive backing, the nippressure between the calendar and the preheat roll is at least 40 psig.although it may be considerably higher, and the preheat roll 104 isheated to idated adhesive within the backing.

Subsequent to application of the barrier layer 106, the fabric may thenhave another means for securing the fabric to the nonflexible materialapplied to the barrier layer. As previously mentioned, many differentadhesives or adhesive systems may be used, and the embodimentillustrated in FIG. 13 has a nip formed between rollers 110 and 112 withan adhesive laminate 114 originating from roll 116 being applied. Theadhesive laminate includes a thin sheet of paper or the like havingadhesive applied to both sides thereof. The outer adhesive willultimately secure the fabric to the nonflexible material, and ispreferably a pressure sensitive adhesive, although other adhesives maybe used. The outer adhesive may also be covered with a release coatedcover strip or the like, such as silicone treated paper, which willprotect the adhesive until immediately before application to thenonflexible material, whereupon the cover strip is peeled away.

in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the barrierlayer is preferably a thin polyester film, and may have a thickness ofonly approximately one-half mil. The polyester film may be Mylar asmanufactured by DuPont of Wilmington, Delaware. Mylar is preferably usedas the barrier layer, for it is polar and thus exhibits good adhesion toa variety of surfaces. However, other films may also be used, such asnylon, acrylic and urethane.

As previously mentioned, the barrier layer imparts greater tensilestrength to the high loft fabric, but in addition, acts as a barrier toprevent the plasticizer in the plastisol of the adhesive backing fromleaching out of the backing. The leaching effect adversely affects thebond between the fabric and the nonflexible material to which it isattached. Thus, it is contemplated that in addition to the use of thefilms previously mentioned, impregnated papers as well as chemicalsprays may be formulated to adequately seal the plasticizer andtherefore prevent leaching.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, thepolyester film may also be corona discharge treated to improve itsdegree of adhesion. The corona discharge treatment simply involvessubjecting the surface of the film to a high potential electrostaticcharge. Although the exact phenomenon is not entirely known, it isbelieved that the high potential electric discharge activates thepolyester molecules of the Mylar film. The activation may be the resultof gaseous ionization at the interface and ionization and polarizationof the labile or reactive sites of the polymer molecule. The activationprobably initiates chemical processes involving absorbed oxygen thatultimately results in the formation of an oxygen containing polar groupat the reactive site. Since adhesion is a surface phenomenoncharacterized by the molecular forces of the attraction between twosurfaces in contact, the discharge treatment enhances the adhesionpotential of the Mylar film.

The corona discharge treatment of other films such as nonpolar polymersmay permit the use as the barrier layer as well. For example olefins,such as polypropylene and polyethylene may be utilized in the eventtheir surfaces have been corona discharge treated.

The side of the barrier layer receiving the corona discharge treatmentis the side which receives the adhesive system for securing the fabricto the nonflexible material. As previously mentioned, the coronadischarge treatment increases the adhesion capability of the barrierlayer. This coupled with the fact that the barrier layer is preferablyquite smooth, contributes to a strong adhesive bond between the adhesivesystem and the barrier layer.

Subsequent to the particular adhesive system being applied to thefabric, in the event the adhesive backing of the fabric is not used asthe means for securing the fabric to the nonflexible material, thefabric may then be cut into the conventional commercially marketed sizesfor paneling materials. The final product is shown in the perspectiveview of FIG. 16 and is characterized by a paneling having a high-loft ordeep pile appearance and texture which may be installed in the samemanner as conventional solid wood or wood veneered paneling, or asplastic panels.

THE MANUFACTURE OF MOLDED PANELS While according to the foregoingdescription, the high-loft nonwoven fabric may be applied to a backingsheet of nonflexible material such as plywood, pressed wood, plastic orplastic-like material to produce wall paneling suitable, for example,for use as flat wall treatments in homes or offices, it is alsocontemplated that the nonwoven fabric may be applied to sheet materialsand molded into simple or complex shaped panels.

Accordingly, laminates of nonwoven fabric and sheet materials may beconstructed according to this invention not only flat but also inshapes. Thus after nonwoven fabric of the character previously describedhas been-laminated to a backing sheet of thermoplastic material, forexample, a sheet of a polyolefin (e.g. polyethylene, polypropylene,polystyrene) an acrylic (e.g. acrylonitrile), a vinyl polymer (e.g.polyvinyl chloride) or copolymers or terpolymers thereof (e.g. ABS), thelaminate may be formed by known methods such as by molding in vacuumthermoforming apparatus, and set in the formed shape. The backing sheetcan be a fibrous material rather than a plastic material such ascardboard or fiber board and the laminate molded or pressed into adesired shape by addingmoisture and subjecting the laminate to heat andpressure. The adhesive backing layer may be activated by heat or solventto laminate the nonwoven fabric to the backing sheet, or a layer ofadditional adhesive applied to the backing layer for laminatingpurposes, or attachment may be achieved through an intervening layer,illustratively foam or similar stretchable material.

After being so formed the laminate may be trimmed according to a patternto serve as a prefabricated panel for installation, illustratively, as ashaped door, roof or floor panel in the interior of an automobile orairplane, as a liner in an instrument case or luggage piece, or as theexterior of a case, luggage or furniture piece with the surface of thenonwoven fabric exposed. Thus the present invention provides as anarticle of manufacture, prefinished or prefabricated flat or shapedpanels for use as surface panels, including panels utilized in themanufacture of finished goods and serving decorative or structuralpurposes.

One of the features of the high-loft, nonwoven fabric giving itparticular utility for the formation of shaped panels when laminated toa backing sheet, is its stretchable deformability such that it will bedrawn and conform to the curvature imparted to the backing sheet in thecourse of forming without opening undesirable fissuresor gaps in thepile surface.

The gathered backing layer when softened to a tacky, plastic state as byheating or the like, will stretch and even partly open to flow with thebacking sheet as the sheet is formed. The dense tightly packed fiberloops forming the surface of the nonwoven fabric will shift with thebacking layer and adjust to the shape of the forming device. While theadhesive backing layer and dense pile surface may open somewhatparticularly in regions of extremely sharp curvature, aesthetically andfunctionally acceptable shaped panels may be made by the selection ofsuitable fibers, filaments, strands or yarns and controlling the fabricmanufacturing process so that adequate pile density is provided toaccommodate the opening which depends on the degree of cmvature impartedto the sheet.

Since the adhesive of the backing layer is preferably a thermoplasticadhesive which may be reactivated to a tacky, softened plastic state,decorative, shaped panels have been made by applying heat and pressureand molding the high-loft, nonwoven fabric per se, as by thermoforming;in such a process step the fabric is drawn to the shape of the mold andupon cooling while maintained in that shape the adhesive backing layerwill set and thereby hold the shape to which the fabric is molded. Wherethe nonwoven fabric has been molded into a three dimensional panel, thepanel is self supporting since the gathered thermoplastic adhesivebacking layer when set in such a shape provides structural support. Ifdesired, curved panels may be subsequently laminated to a curvednonflexible backing material or supporting structure ofnonflexiblematerial utilizing the adhesive of the backing layer oradditional adhesive to laminate the materials throughout substantiallythe entire interface between the backing layer and the backing materialso that the molded nonwoven high-loft material conforms to the backingmaterial or support.

I claim as my invention:

1. A paneling material comprising a laminated construction having:

a flexible, substantially continuous, nonuniform in thickness, gatheredadhesive backing layer; said backing layer having been formed bygathering softened adhesive having said flexible elements embeddedtherein at spaced points on said elements while outwardly looping theportion of said elements between said points, and

a nonflexible backing material attached to the adhesive backing layer ofthe nonwoven fabric.

2. A paneling material comprising a laminated construction having:

a high-loft, nonwoven fabric comprised of a multiplicity of outwardlylooped flexible elements, with the ends of each loop embedded in aflexible, substantially continuous nonuniform in thickness, gatheredadhesive backing layer; said backing layer having been formed bygathering softened adhesive having said flexible elements embeddedtherein at spaced points on said elements while outwardly looping theportions of said elements between said points, and

a curved nonflexible backing material attached to the adhesive backinglayer of the nonwoven fabric, said nonwoven fabric and backing layermaterial being attached throughout substantially the entire interfacebetween the backing layer and the backing material, and the nonwovenfabric conforming to the curvature of the backing material.

3. A high-loft, nonwoven fabric molded into a curved panel and comprisedof a multiplicity of outwardly looped flexible fibrous elements, withthe ends of each loop embedded in a flexible, substantially continuousnonuniform in thickness, gathered adhesive backing layer; said backinglayer having been formed by gathering softened adhesive having saidflexible elements embedded therein at spaced points on said elementswhile outwardly looping the portions of said elements between saidpoints, and having been molded and set into a curved shape; and

a nonflexible backing material attached to the adhesive backing layer ofthe nonwoven fabric, the nonwoven fabric and backing material beingattached throughout substantially the entire interface between thebacking layer and the backing material.

4. A high-loft nonwoven fabric molded into a curved panel and comprisedof a multiplicity of outwardly looped elements, with the ends of eachloop embedded in a flexible, substantially continuous, nonuniform inthickness, gathered adhesive backing layer, said adhesive backing layerhaving been formed by gathering softened adhesive having said flexibleelements embed ded therein at spaced points on said elements whileoutwardly looping the portions of said elements between said points, andhaving been molded and set into a curved shape.

5. The paneling material of claim I wherein the spacing of the points atwhich the ends of the loops are embedded in the adhesive backing layervaries regularly for flexible elements throughout the fabric so that theloops vary in height regularly throughout the fabric.

6. The paneling material of'claim 1 wherein the nonwoven fabric andbacking layer are substantially coextensive and of a predetermined sizeand shape.

7. The paneling material of claim 1 wherein the nonflexible material isselected from the group consisting of plywood, pressed wood, cardboardand plastic materials.

8. The paneling material of claim 1 wherein the nonflexible material iscomprised of a thermoplastic sheet material.

9. The paneling material of claim 1 wherein the nonflexible material isthermoplastic sheet material selected from the group consisting of apolyolefin, an acrylic, a vinyl, and copolymers and terpolymers thereof.

10. The paneling material of claim 1 wherein the adhesive backing layerof the nonwoven fabric is comprised of first and second plies ofadhesive adhering to each other.

11. The paneling material of claim 1 wherein a barrier layer isinterposed between the adhesive backing layer and the nonflexiblebacking material.

12. The paneling material of claim 1 wherein the barrier layer has anadhesive applied to one side thereof for attachment to the backingmaterial.

13. A method for producing a formed panel comprising a high-loft,nonwoven fabric with a surface of looped flexible elements, laminated toa nonflexible backing sheet, comprising the steps of:

providing a web formed of a multiplicity of flexible,

extended elements,

embedding said web of flexible, extended elements at spaced points onsaid elements in a pattern of adhesive,

activating the adhesive layer to a softened, tacky state, gathering thesoftened adhesive layer while outwardly looping the portions of saidelements be-- tween said points, to form i. a flexible, gatheredadhesive backing layer, and ii. a multiplicity of loops providing thefabric surface with the ends of each loop embedded in said adhesivebacking layer;

laminating a sheet of nonflexible formable material to said backinglayer,

forming the laminate, and

setting the laminate in the formed shape.

14. A method according to claim 13 for. producing a formed panel inwhich said flexible, extended elements are selected from the groupconsisting of staple length natural fibers, staple length syntheticfibers monofilaments, threads, yarns, strands, and blends thereof.

15. A method for producing a formed panel comprising the method stepsaccording to claim 13 wherein a backing sheet of thermoplastic materialis adhesively laminated to the backing layer to produce a laminate, andin which the forming step includes:

heating the laminate to raise the backing sheet to forming temperatureand the adhesive backing layer to a softened, plastic state,

molding the laminate under heat and pressure, and

setting the laminate in the shape formed by the mold- 16. A method forproducing a formed panel according to claim 13, in which the adhesivebacking layer is reactivated for adhesively bonding sheet materialthereto.

17. A method according to claim 13 for producing a formed panel whereinthe pattern of adhesive in which the web of elements is embedded, is inthe form of an open adhesive pattern.

18. A method for producing a formed panel comprising the steps of:

providing a web formed of a multiplicity of flexible,

extended elements,

embedding said web of flexible, extended elements at spaced points onsaid elements in a pattern of adhesive,

activating the adhesive layer to a softened, tacky state,

gathering the softened adhesive layer while outwardly looping theportions of said elements between said points, to form i. a flexible,gathered adhesive backing layer, and

ii. a multiplicity of loops providing the fabric surface with the endsof each loop embedded in said adhesive backing layer;

activating the adhesive backing layer to a softened,

plastic state,

forming the fabric while the adhesive backing layer is in a softenedplastic state, and

setting the adhesive backing layer to set the fabric in the formedshape.

19. A method for producing a formed panel according to claim 13 in whichthe sheet of nonflexible material is thermoplastic sheet materialselected from the group consisting of a polyolefin, an acrylic, a vinyl,and copolymers and terpolymers thereof.

20. A method for producing a formed panel according to claim 13 in whichthe sheet of nonflexible material is selected from the group consistingof plywood,

pressed wood, cardboard and plastic materials.

2. A paneling material comprising a laminated construction having: ahigh-loft, nonwoven fabric comprised of a multiplicity of outwardlylooped flexible elements, with the ends of each loop embedded in aflexible, substantially continuous nonuniform in thickness, gatheredadhesive backing layer; said backing layer having been formed bygathering softened adhesive having said flexible elements embeddedtherein at spaced points on said elements while outwardly looping theportions of said elements between said points, and a curved nonflexiblebacking material attached to the adhesive backing layer of the nonwovenfabric, said nonwoven fabric and backing layer material being attachedthroughout substantially the entire interface between the backing layerand the backing material, and the nonwoven fabric conforming to thecurvature of the backing material.
 3. A high-loft, nonwoven fabricmolded into a curved panel and comprised of a multiplicity of outwardlylooped flexible fibrous elements, with the ends of each loop embedded ina flexible, substantially continuous nonuniform in thickness, gatheredadhesive backing layer; said backing layer having been formed bygathering softened adhesive having said flexible elements embeddedtherein at spaced points on said elements while outwardly looping theportions of said elements between said points, and having been moldedand set into a curved shape; and a nonflexible backing material attachedto the adhesive backing layer of the nonwoven fabric, the nonwovenfabric and backing material being attached throughout substantially theentire interface between the backing layer and the backing material. 4.A high-loft nonwoven fabric molded into a curved panel and comprised ofa multiplicity of outwardly looped elements, with the ends of each loopembedded in a flexible, substantially continuous, nonuniform inthickness, gathered adhesive backing layer, said adhesive backing layerhaving been formed by gathering softened adhesive having said flexibleelements embedded therein at spaced points on said elements whileoutwardly looping the portions of said elements between said points, andhaving been molded and set into a curved shape.
 5. The paneling materialof claim 1 wherein the spacing of the points at which the ends of theloops are embedded in the adhesive backing layer varies regularly forflexible elements throughout the fabric so that the loops vary in heightregularly throughout the fabric.
 6. The paneling material of claim 1wherein the nonwoven fabric and backing layer are substantiallycoextensive and of a predetermined size and shape.
 7. The panelingmaterial of claim 1 wherein the nonflexible material is selected fromthe group consisting of plywood, pressed wood, cardboard and plasticmaterials.
 8. The paneling material of claim 1 wherein the nonflexiblematerial is comprised of a thermoplastic sheet material.
 9. The panelingmaterial of claim 1 wherein the nonflexible material is thermoplasticsheet material selected from the group consisting of a polyolefin, anacrylic, a vinyl, and copolymers and terpolymers thereof.
 10. Thepaneling material of claim 1 wherein the adhesive backing layer of thenonwoven fabric is comprised of first and second plies of adhesiveadhering to each other.
 11. The paneling material of claim 1 wherein abarrier layer is interposed between the adhesive backing layer and thenonflexible backing material.
 12. The paneling material of claim 1wherein the barrier layer has an adhesive applied to one side thereoffor attachment to the backing material.
 13. A method for producing aformed panel comprising a high-loft, nonwoven fabric with a surface oflooped flexible elements, laminated to a nonflexible backing sheet,comprising the steps of: providing a web formed of a multiplicity offlexible, extended elements, embedding said web of flexible, extendedelements at spaced points on said elements in a pattern of adhesive,activating the adhesive layer to a softened, tacky state, gathering thesoftened adhesive layer while outwardly looping the portions of saidelements between said points, to form i. a flexible, gathered adhesivebacking layer, and ii. a multiplicity of loops providing the fabricsurface with the ends of each loop embedded in said adhesive backinglayer; laminating a sheet of nonflexible formable material to saidbacking layer, forming the laminate, and setting the laminate in theformed shape.
 14. A method according to claim 13 for producing a formedpanel in which said flexible, extended elements are selected from thegroup consisting of staple length natural fibers, staple lengthsynthetic fibers monofilaments, threads, yarns, strands, and blendsthereof.
 15. A method for producing a formed panel comprising the methodsteps according to claim 13 wherein a backing sheet of thermoplasticmaterial is adhesively laminated to the backing layer to produce alaminate, and in which the forming step includes: heating the laminateto raise the backing sheet to forming temperature and the adhesivebacking layer to a softened, plastic state, molding the laminate underheat and pressure, and setting the laminate in the shape formed by themolding.
 16. A method for producing a formed panel according to claim13, in which the adhesive backing layer is reactivated for adhesivelybonding sheet material thereto.
 17. A method according to claim 13 forproducing a formed panel wherein the pattern of adhesive in which theweb of elements is embedded, is in the form of an open adhesive pattern.18. A method for producing a formed panel comprising the steps of:providing a web formed of a multiplicity of flexible, extended elements,embedding said web of flexible, extended elements at spaced points onsaid elements in a pattern of adhesive, activating the adhesive layer toa softened, tacky state, gathering the softened adhesive layer whileoutwardly looping the portions of said elements between said points, toform i. a flexible, gathered adhesive backing layer, and ii. amultiplicity of loops providing the fabric surface with the ends of eachloop embedded in said adhesive backing layer; activating the adhesivebacking layer to a softened, plastic state, forming the fabric while theadhesive backing layer is in a softened plastic state, and setting theadhesive backing layer to set the fabric in the formed shape.
 19. Amethod for producing a formed panel according to claim 13 in which thesheet of nonflexible material is thermoplastic sheet material selectedfrom the group consisting of a polyolefin, an acrylic, a vinyl, andcopolymers and terpolymers thereof.
 20. A method for producing a formedpanel according to claim 13 in which the sheet of nonflexible materialis selected from the group consisting of plywood, pressed wood,cardboard and plastic materials.